Spectrum
by SkyWren48
Summary: An artist does not have merely one or two favorite colors to work with; they have a whole spectrum.  A series of oneshots featuring Squeenix/Disney pairings, with each chapter based on a color of the rainbow.  T. ON HIATUS.
1. Red

_**Spectrum**_

_An artist does not have merely one or two favorite colors to work with; they have a whole spectrum._

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Red

He spotted her curled up on a rock a bit out to sea, staring wistfully towards the sandy shores. To him, so much sand was remotely uninteresting, and it was slightly unsettling to see a young woman gazing so longingly at basically the equivalent of dirt. And then - in the light of the sunset - he spotted a flash of scaly green, and surmised this was the fish princess from the world he was on - Atlantica - with an odd longing for something warm and dry.

Intrigued, Axel leaned lazily against the rock outcropping, wishing the night would cool down faster; as his element was fire, he always carried an internal heat source of sorts that kept him warm at all times, but the extra sun on top of the black, heat-absorbing coat was a bit much - he was considering shedding his coat to further enjoy the cool night air that was bound to come. It was unfortunate enough that he'd been sent to such a world - last he checked, water and fire did _not_ mix - but perhaps it was worth it, if he got to meet the redheaded princess. Princesses were always a thing of mocking curiosity to him; sure, any girl may _act_ all tough and stubborn, but in the end, they were always vain, childish, naïve. In other words, everything that he found easy to mock.

Ariel herself did not notice the redhead until he called out to her, making himself heard over the rush of the sea, "Yo, Princess!"

She flinched, blue eyes wide in panic, spotting the smirking young man waving to her with two fingers. Immediately she felt the urge to flee - as much as she argued with her father, she _did_ know better than to immediately trust a complete stranger, and something about him felt kind of _shifty_ (plus he somehow knew of her rank, that in itself was enough to make her suspicious) - and was just beginning to lower herself into the water when he casually called out again.

"What, leaving already? You're not getting _cold fins_, are you?"

"I most certainly am_ not_," she found herself arguing, poking her head out from behind the rock, a frown on her face as she chastised the stranger, before ducking behind her rock again. It wasn't until a moment later did she register the oddity of the phrase coming out of a human's mouth, one without any fins or gills or tentacles. In spite of herself, she lifted her head once more, brushing her wet hair out of her eyes. And then she blushed very lightly.

While Her Highness had been in the process of debating whether or not to reveal herself, Axel had grown bored, and decided to spice up the moment with a little flair of himself - and he'd already been thinking of carrying out the idea earlier. He plucked of his gloves, dropping them unceremoniously to the warm sand below him, and was in the process of removing his long, dark coat - which had sucked in more than a fair share of heat during the day - when he heard a squeak coming from the direction of the rock. He chuckled, allowing his cover to drop to the ground, relishing as the salty sea wind played across his now bare torso.

"Ahh, that's more like it." He grinned impishly over at the girl - and in the fading crimson light, he definitely caught a splash of red across her cheeks. (Well all right, maybe it had simply been her hair blowing in her face, but what woman in their right mind _wouldn't_ be blushing around him?) "Why don'tcha swim on over here so we can get properly introduced."

Ariel was - being a mermaid and all - used to naked torsos. (And the material that was covering his legs - _pants,_ she thought - was still there, and _thank goodness_ for that, because she'd heard a number of children's tales when she was younger of what human men kept in their pants. Her curiosity didn't extend to monsters.) But the uncaring way he'd simply removed his clothing right there, right in front of her… well. Any right-minded soul would be appropriately mortified.

Nonetheless, she was still curious. And as anyone who'd ever known her knew, she'd do whatever she could to satiate that curiosity.

So when he invited her closer, her heart did a very distinct _ba-thump._ Right this moment, she had a very easy way to learn more about humans… Trusting as she was, it did occur for a moment that he might try and hurt her, but she'd yet to see any hooks on his person, so she figured she was fairly safe. As any merperson knew, a hook often meant being dragged relentlessly onto the shore and … discovered.

But he already seemed to know - or at least, have an inkling - of what she was.

After he'd issued his request, he only had to wait a moment before the fish girl slipped herself into the water and swam over to him, emerging at a slightly smaller rock much closer to shore. He almost laughed aloud at the naïve way she'd immediately accepted his presence as benign; she had no idea that he could incinerate her in a second, of course, but she couldn't be _that_ stupid as to think any random guy wouldn't have any weapons on their person unless they visibly acted like a maniac.

Hmm, _this_ was bound to be fun.

As he watched her gracefully pull herself up onto the rock, Axel's eyes finally caught sight of it - the tail. The green fin that made her so much different from him, that could propel her through water, yet never allow her to live properly on land; that made her basically of an entirely different _species. _Vexen had always been interested in how these creatures functioned properly - and reproduced - but Axel was not too bothered with the mysteries of merfolk. They had to do with _water_ after all; they couldn't be that interesting, considering Demyx.

"So," he drawled, the smirk gracing his lips again, "the name's Axel." He tapped his temple lightly with his index finger. "Got it memorized, Princess?"

"Don't call me Princess." The declaration came out before the introduction - that seemed to be hardly needed in present company - and Ariel watched as surprised flickered briefly across this 'Axel's' face, and then he was relaxed again.

"Very well, Your Highness. Why don't you tell me what I _should_ call you?"

Ariel blew out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through her wet hair again. Axel seemed determined to be purposely infuriating, as if dangling in front of her nose certain information that he shouldn't even know without bothering to tell her where he got it. After a moment of grumpy pouting, the mermaid finally relented. "Ariel. Call me Ariel… please."

"_Please,_ huh?" Now came the mocking. The smirk on Axel's face grew at the sight of frustration on the mermaid's face. He loved provoking others, it gave him a dangerous high - playing with fire, if you will. Which suited him perfectly. "Sure, whatever you say, _Princess Ariel._" He stooped into a slight bow, the catty grin never leaving his face, his eyes never leaving hers.

She huffed in disgust, but he could tell it was hard for her to stay truly angry when she was so intrigued by his appearance. He saw her eyes move up to his hair, and he almost groaned; here came the question of how he made it defy gravity like that… Finally, she blurted out:

"Can a dingle hopper _really_ do _that?_" She gestured in amazement to his hair.

A beat.

Axel struggled for words to voice his bewilderment. "… you smokin' the _sea_ weed, kid?" he managed finally. He had absolutely no idea what this "dingle hopper" was; if used in a different context, he'd say it'd sound almost dirty.

She blinked those huge blue eyes. "What?"

"Ugh. Never mind." He ran his fingers through his aforementioned mane, allowing himself another grin. "I s'pose you're gonna ask if it's natural now, huh? Well, yeah, it kind of -"

"I wasn't," she interrupted him, and started twirling a strand of her own violently red hair, grinning at him with a sort of mischievous yet innocent spark.

He was taken aback for words yet again, and squinted at her, frowning slightly. _He_ dictated the awkward silences, the mocking, the fun. _He _owned the conversation, and did not allow himself to be one-upped by anyone. Especially not a prissy stuck-up _Princess._

Though, in all honesty, she didn't seem quite that stuck-up. Just… innocently curious.

Ariel flinched slightly underneath the green stare of his narrowed eyes, but she didn't feel it was quite that unfriendly, so she kept her gaze in place, not allowing herself to back down simply because he felt he needed to establish his control. She'd seen that look enough in Sebastian and Daddy, the look of control, and she didn't much care for it anymore.

And then, he started laughing. And she was decidedly thrown for a loop.

She sat on the rock in silence until his gales subsided, and to the silence he said something even _more_ unexpected:

"I like you, Princess. You're cute."

The mermaid blushed - _oh no think of your prince think of your prince_ - and stammered out, bemused, "Th-thank you?"

"You're welcome." Axel smirked again, before pulling off his dark boots. He flopped them lackadaisically onto the beach, and as he started rolling up his pant legs, he felt her curious gaze on him. He knew she was still quite pink in the face from his previous statement, and he couldn't contain a quiet chuckle. Ahh, control was his again. She may be queen - no, _princess_ - of the water, but he knew how to heat it up, and there was nothing she could do but squirm in the temperature. And he'd love watching her.

As he straightened up again, he gave her a hearty wink before striding into the salty water. While it would have been cold to the normal human being, his body temperature allowed his heat to be sustained, and actually warm a bit of the water around him. Thus he still remained at a comfortable body temperature - even if he was a bit irked by the fact that he was in _water._ Water was Demyx's element, not his.

Ariel watched him as he neared, her heart pounding again, sure her face was pink again. As one of the princesses of Atlantica, it was beneath her dignity to be treated as such by a human - but she'd never much stood for the laws of courtesy in her home, preferring to do things her way. But no matter how rebellious she could be, there were still certain things ingrained into her mind from childhood: _always treat others with dignity, and do NOT let anyone treat you with anything below that._ Well, Axel was certainly not being dignified, respectful, or well-mannered… which only made him all the more subject to her curiosity.

He looked like he liked to _play._ Ariel enjoyed playing, even as a teenager.

So when he finally reached her rock, and ran the back of his fingers lightly across her cheek, she did not reproach him for being too forward - and Sebastian wasn't around to reproach him for her. Sure, she blushed, as any girl would do when put on the spot, human or mermaid; but she did not do the ladylike thing and tell him to back off. Not even with Prince Eric lurking on her mind. After all, they were just playing… right?

It was odd. His hand left a trail of warmth on her cheek, oddly heated. She figured it was simply human hands; they were warmer because they were constantly warmed by the sun. Though, Eric hadn't been this warm when she'd saved him from drowning…

Axel winced at the wetness of her cheek, and quickly shook his fingers in disgust, hoping to get the water off - though his grin betrayed how much fun he was _really_ having. After all, water was very becoming on the fish princess; it sparkled and shimmered on her lithe form in the fading light. And speaking of her form… she was so slender, so thin, and so _young._ She looked barely older than Naminé or Kairi, seventeen at most. (He could tell by the shell bra, which he was definitely enjoying.) And Lea had been in his early twenties when he lost his heart to the Heartless, making Axel around that age, and placing quite a few years between him and the mermaid.

That was fine by him, though. In fact, it made the predator inside him roar with delight.

The pyro placed one hand on either side of the princess on the rock, making their heads level. It was odd how alike they looked in some ways - both very thin, with eyes like the sea and wild red hair. Ariel's breath caught in her throat, but she couldn't lean back from him (though not for lack of trying; playing is one thing, personal space is another). He was grinning crookedly, and looked as though he was thoroughly enjoying himself. She couldn't say anything, anything at all, as though she'd lost her voice again.

Eventually, he broke the silence. "All this water would normally suck but… today, it's got its perks."

And then his lips were on hers.

In the last flashing moments of the sunset, they were both bathed in red light; Ariel's wild red hair fluttered in the wind, while Axel's swayed lazily, mirroring his personality. When they finally broke apart, they both felt the warmth, the pyro's internal heat spreading to the mermaid and enveloping them in a rosy light.

And for the next couple of weeks - even though they knew they'd probably never see one another again - they couldn't stop seeing in red.

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**A/N: Well, first chapter of a series of drabbles, complete! I have seven planned (so six more to go) - and possibly two bonus chapters afterwards if this gets enough lovin' - and I have to say I'm excited. I've been planning this for a while now, but only now have I had the muse to launch my diabolical plan.**

**I didn't expect this chapter in particular to be this long. I didn't expect the characters to get along as well as they did. I was wrong; it was four pages, and they got along famously. (: (I do hope they were in character, however...) In fact, I enjoyed writing Axel/Ariel so much that I might actually write more in the future! However, that's the only look at them that we'll get in this series of drabbles; I don't plan to reuse characters or worlds. So that's also the last glance we'll have at Atlantica as well. But don't fret! I have plenty of fun things planned for Squeenix/Disney pairings (:**

**I hope whoever reads this enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing this. 'cause it was _loads_ of fun.**

**I plan to have weekly updates (though the heavens know I have trouble sticking to deadline plans like that). So y'all should review to keep my drive for this going, kay?**

**I'll finish up with the disclaimer like I usually do. I don't own any Squeenix characters or Disney characters, no matter how much I love them/torture them. Some days I wish I owned them, but alas... no owney for me.**

**P.S. for the "an artist does not have merely one or two favorite colors to work with; they have a whole spectrum" thing? (Yes, I made that up myself (: ) Umm it's a not-so-subtle reference to the fact that a lot of the stories on fanfiction here involve a lot of the same characters. It's nice to see stories that actually incorporate the Disney characters in a good way - as they do make up over half of both KH and KHII. Not that I'm against a well-written fanfiction with the usual characters, mind. I just like to see a little originality in character usage once in a while, that's all (: Not trying to offend anyone, of course. Use whomoever you'd like when composing your fanfics! -rambling now- all right all right I'm done.**


	2. Orange

**_Spectrum_**

_An artist does not have merely one or two favorite colors to work with; they have a whole spectrum._

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Orange

"So, you get seasick, huh?"

"Shuddup." Yuffie moaned, clutching her stomach, one hand gripping the side of the ship. She was sure there was some kind of technical name for it - there was a technical name for damn near _everything_ these days - but she didn't particularly care; and even if she had, chances were she would have vomited up the information like she was on the verge of vomiting up her lunch.

Through the haze blotting out her vision, she managed to aim a glare at the floating boy, who was openly laughing at her. His legs were crossed in midair, his green hat perched lopsidedly on his ginger hair, grinning boyishly. She waved her hand at him, attempting to give him the finger but not quite managing it as she felt her stomach lurch, and she doubled over the side of the ship in an attempt to fight it off.

Peter was finding the sight relatively amusing. She didn't look to be much older than him - though she would be one day (those silly people and their aging). But she was traveling with a bunch of adults, which meant she was in much too much of a hurry to grow up. He barely interacted with the adults, but the whole time the strange group of people had been on the pirate ship he'd been tailing the younger girl, mildly curious in why anyone would want to travel with such an uptight group of grown-ups. It turned out that the girl was horribly seasick, and it was not without his boyish amusement that he watched her, waiting for the time she'd lose her most recent meal.

The ship rocked again, and the girl moaned - Peter hadn't caught her name, but he didn't particularly care at the present time - as she clutched the railing for dear life. He chuckled, flying over in front of her, examining the green look on her face.

"Geez, girl, haven't ya ever been on a ship before?"

"Yes," she groaned. "Maybe. I dunno. It just kinda" - she swallowed thickly - "sucks."

Once again, she wondered why she had volunteered for this mission. Squall - _Leon,_ Aerith, and herself were currently on their way from Traverse Town to Hollow Bastion to help Sora seal the final keyhole; that had sounded fun, she supposed, or at least awesomely fantastic. (Let it be said that Yuffie never missed action if she could help it.) She hadn't, however, counted on a pit stop in Neverland, where the crazy captain guy's ship was the only real place they could land. Squall - oops, _Leon_ - was probably tired from piloting the whole time - he wouldn't let any of the girls drive 'cause he was so _manly_ - and they failed epically at finding any warp holes to make their way to Hollow Bastion much easier and quicker.

Which had sucked for Yuffie. Motion sickness was a bitch.

It was like Leon was _trying_ to make her uncomfortable. They had to make a pit stop and they chose _Neverland_, which was very close to the final world that they probably could've made it, and it was also composed of a giant _ship._ She supposed there was a mainland somewhere, but noooo, Leon chose the freaking ship. Of course he would.

The orange rays of dawn were slowly beginning to filter across the sky. Neverland had been in nighttime for so long, Peter had to admit it was nice to see the sun again. He turned his face to the direction of the sunlight, enjoying as the warmth spread over him, even as the chilly sea air threatened to blow his hat away. He didn't understand how everyone stood it, keeping their feet solidly on the ground, never enjoying the freedom of flight… Couldn't they think of at least _one_ happy thought? He supposed it might be because of their lack of pixie dust; but maybe it was because adults tended to be uptight, grumpy, strict, and all-around unhappy.

He chanced a glance to the seasick girl. _She_ definitely looked unhappy; while it could simply be the seasickness, he had no doubt the grown-ups taking over the ship were part of the problem. He had thought he'd seen the last of crazy adults when he and Sora finished Hook off, but nope, there were more outsiders taking over his home. All in all, it had made him very surly, but he was still able to enjoy a couple of moments with the only young member of their group they had brought along.

She didn't seem to be enjoying herself, though… Well. He wasn't about to let her lose her sense of fun. Maybe it was time to leave the world of grown-ups.

Yuffie scowled as Peter alighted on the railing, sitting cross-legged and grinning mischievously. The ship wasn't rocking as much now, and she was enjoying the reprieve as much as she could; she wasn't about to let a _kid_ get in the way of that. (Okay, to be fair, she was barely older than he was by the looks of it - two years at most if physical appearances meant anything - but she did have a bit of a superiority complex.) She stuck her tongue out as he aimed his grin her way before grumbling, "Whaddaya want?"

"I wanna have fun!" The honest pronouncement was a bit _too_ honest as he spread his arms wide, his eyes sparkling. As he lowered his arms his face turned reproving. "You should be havin' fun too, girl."

"Listen, kid, I'm kinda _seasick._ Which means _of course_ I'm not havin' fun!"

He leaned forward towards her. "So what, you're seasick! Are ya airsick?"

"… airsick? We're on a _boat._" His question was an odd one. There weren't any air-type vehicles around at the moment; surely that made no sense in present company. Yuffie frowned at him, flattering herself that her gaze was akin to x-ray vision and the boy was feeling very sorry for himself indeed as she scrutinized him - but then realized he was very amused, and huffed with irritation, folding her arms and pouting.

"I dunno what ya mean," she reiterated snidely, when he merely continued to smirk at her. "There aren't any…" - she hesitated, not wishing to say Gummi ships in order to protect the "world order" or whatever it is Squall harped on about all the time (and for some reason, the term "airships" popped into her head) - "…flyin' machines around here, are there?"

Peter rolled his eyes, not believing someone could be so dense. "I don't need a flying machine to fly."

"…" The boy could see she was still trying to puzzle out what he meant; he waited impatiently for her to grasp the concept, purposely floating into the air, his legs still crossed.

When her mouth popped into a comical 'o,' he laughed aloud.

"Gee, are all girls this slow?" he asked gleefully, fully enjoying her dramatic reaction. The girls he knew came to his mind briefly, but only for a moment; so long as they weren't in his presence or vicinity, they weren't worth his time. This girl, on the other hand, had _all_ of his attention; he had a feeling her nature would be a lot like his if she weren't addled with seasickness… or surrounded by grown-ups all the time.

She took a moment to recover from her lapse of her 'dignity,' and made up for it by looking haughty and annoyed. "I don't have magical fireflies or whatever the hell they are dropping magical sparkly powder on me all the time, unlike some people, so it really doesn't matter whether or not I get airsick." She ended the statement with a glare in his direction, to which he only smiled. "And _also_ unlike some people, I get sick and angry on ships, so… urp…" She swallowed down a roll of nausea as the ship tilted again, clutching the side for support. After a moment, she finished lamely, "… leave me alone."

He was silent for a moment, and she slumped her shoulders in relief as she realized he had probably left - like most hyperactive kids, he no doubt had a short attention span (she knew she did) - and blew out a sigh. Her stomach cramped up again in irritation, and she leaned over the railing, moaning.

So Yuffie was intensely surprised when she felt a young - yet calloused - hand tug sharply on her own while she was leaning over the boat, thus pulling her off with their combined momentums. The world stood still for a second as she tumbled off the ship, a piercing scream ready to burst forth from her lips -

- until she found herself cradled in the arms of that idiotic boy.

And he was _laughing._

"That was NOT FUNNY!" she squealed, and felt a surge of satisfaction as the boy winced from her high-pitched yelp. She did not like the way she was clinging to his green clothes - what the hell was he wearing, anyway, tights and a leotard? - and staring with anxiety and fear at the dark, churning seawater below her.

At least he wasn't bobbing like a cork in the air… or jolting from side to side… or slowly tipping in a torturous motion…

"Relax, girl," Peter said lazily, contradicting his own words when he dumped her out of his arms - only to grab her firmly by the hand.

"Maybe I could relax if you'd stop giving me goddamn _heart attacks!_" She emphasized her point by placing her free palm over her chest, feeling her heart thumping erratically, jumping around like a train jumps off the tracks, readying itself to ram into things with alarming speed.

"Maybe when you're done having a heart attack," he said impatiently, "you'll realize that you're flying."

Yuffie froze.

She stared at the water, not all that far below her.

She stared at the ship, which was suddenly away from her.

She stared at his hand, gripping hers in a firm embrace.

And finally, she stared up into his mischievous young face, and all the feelings of seasickness vanished from her body as she realized she wasn't bobbing or tipping or sliding or being pushed around with a wide array of unpleasant motions.

She couldn't even find her voice, so she simply mouthed the words: _"I'm flying."_

Peter openly laughed at her again, clutching his stomach with one hand as if to stifle his peals. "Geez, girl! You shoulda seen the look on your face!" He wiped away a slight tear, grinning like a madman.

"Yuffie!" the girl piped up indignantly, giving a withering look reminiscent Tink - which was slightly ruined, because of how tightly she was clutching his hand. "My name is _Yuffie, _not _girl!_"

The boy arched an eyebrow, and then laughed once more, in too high of spirits to be offended by her constant contradictions. "Nice ta meetcha, Yuff, I'm Peter Pan!" With that said, he winked, before grabbing her hand with both of his own and unceremoniously tossing her over his back. Needless to say, she shrieked before quickly latching on, both her arms wrapping tightly around his torso. He could feel her trembling as he stretched his arms wide. Really, she was quite light - probably because she was so small. Even being older than him by a couple of years, she was a good deal shorter.

"That was a _wonderful_ introduction," he heard her grumble behind him, still shivering in what he assumed to be terror. "Throw around the girl you just really met, how wonderful."

He ignored her, merely piping up cheerfully, "You'd better hang onto my back, gi- …Yuff, 'cause if ya fall off ya won't be able to fly anymore, not unless I catch ya."

"Wait, why would I fall - AIIIYEEEEEEEK!"

He had suddenly zoomed off across the water - though how he managed amazed him, as he felt like his ribs were cracking under her grip (then again, he always amazed himself, he was just that good) - going at his usual flying pace, enjoying the spray of the salty sea and the chill of the air whipping around the pair of them. He could still feel her heart beating faster than what was probably healthy, but he was seriously enjoying himself, carrying the small girl along.

Yuffie had shut her eyes and screamed as he unexpectedly took off, and waited for the motion sickness to kick in … but it didn't come. She cracked open an eye warily, and realized she _liked_ the cool air dancing across her face, the speed at which they were going; it was a lot like running, but with no ground. And Yuffie loved to run. "Gods," she breathed, realizing she was actually _enjoying_ herself; after all, it wasn't like she was on the rocking deck of a ship of any kind, and this was kind of exhilarating, kind of thrilling, kind of… _fun._

Before she knew it, she had let out a whoop of joy, Peter following in an ecstatic laugh. Her grip relaxed slightly, and she managed to pick her head up off of his back to squint her eyes at the oncoming sunrise in defiance. A grin was breaking across her face, and she laughed as well, jubilant for the first time since they had landed on this accursed world; the motion sickness gone momentarily, she was just like her old self again.

The calls from the ship behind them brought Peter to an upright stop in midair, and Yuffie had to cling tightly to his back again, her legs dangling helplessly while he floated with precision. He glared in the direction of the ship, huffing like she had only minutes ago when he'd been annoying her. He crossed his arms, and she placed her chin on his shoulder to giggle at the childish pout on his face, realizing it probably mimicked her own face just a little bit ago.

He snapped his fingers in his irritation. "Darn those grown-ups, always tryin' ta ruin the fun," he sulked.

She nodded, glancing at the ship, sticking her tongue out in its general direction. "Makes ya never want to grow up," she observed with slight disgust.

Their eyes met after her remark, and they both started to laugh - playful, childish laughter, the kind that makes _anyone _wish they'd never grown up. It grew more and more boisterous, and they simply couldn't stop, overcome in the happiness of the moment that two similar beings often share when they first realize how alike they really are.

They were still laughing as the orange rays of dawn finally extended its fingertips across the sky, the sun at last breaking the horizon, illuminating the two in a rosy, fiery glow to match their own souls; it was like the sky was laughing as well.

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**A/N: Well, that was cute. (: Once again, it turned out much differently - and much longer - than I expected it to be; nonetheless, I'm pretty happy with this result. It was less of a "romance" and more of a "friendship," but if you squint, you can find some romance.**

**The "orange" in this chapter was not only the light of dawn, but the similarity in both Peter's and Yuffie's personalities. They were just too alike to _not_ pair up. I just had to find the right setting for them to meet, so I chose the first Kingdom Hearts. I just wish Yuffie'd been a little more spunky in this; well, it's not her fault she gets overcome with motion sickness, now is it? :P Once again, I hope they were in character.**

**However, the next chapter - which, if one knows the pattern of the rainbow, one will realize it's more of a "happy" color - is planned to be a very dark chapter indeed, a step away from the cuteness we've seen here. Just like the visible spectrum captures many different colors, I want to capture more emotions than just "cute" or "fluffy" or even "sexy" (omgAxel).**

**Also, I lied. I'm probably not going to update weekly; I'm going to _try_ to, so that means I'm probably going to update a week after my deadline. Just... don't expect a recurring time when I update, 'kay?**

**I'm kinda sad this got only one review, but I'll just keep trying (: Review if you want those bonus chapters!**

**And finally, for the disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Squeenix, whatever. Not mine. I don't own rainbows either. So please don't sue me.**


	3. Yellow

_**Spectrum**_

_An artist does not have merely one or two favorite colors to work with; they have a whole spectrum._

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Yellow

He watched her dance with dark eyes.

One dainty hand clasped that beast's claw, a claw he could just picture ripping through her ball gown, leaving nothing behind but tattered yellow remains and blood. She was smiling at him, a smile that lit up her soft brown eyes, and he was baring his teeth in a sort of horrific grin in return, teeth as sharp and tortured as his soul. How could she _beam_ like that, like she was actually enjoying that animal's presence, like the fact that she was a prisoner at the castle no longer mattered? Xaldin supposed it had something to do with her being the Princess of Heart - strength and purity of heart and all of that nonsense - but he didn't understand _why._ Surely such a conquest should be illogical, unreasonable at best.

Perhaps having a heart skewed one's logic… All the more reason to take the Beast's, exposing him for the murderous monster he really was.

He saw a smile dance across Belle's face again, and a surge of something dark and powerful exploded over him. Darkness played around his fingertips as he imagined his lances materializing in his palms, tossing one casually in their direction, watching with twisted pleasure as it skewered Beast's ugly heart, the great creature collapsing and finally succumbing to his most feral nature as he turned into a Heartless, rich blood and shadows splattering across that happy yellow dress as he shattered their peaceful moment…

But no… now was not the time… He had to remember the plan…

A rumbled murmur reached Xaldin's hiding place, a lilting laugh responding with enthusiasm. He cursed under his breath, clenching his palms in frustration. How were such reactions being forced out of him when he had no heart to feel them? Something about this felt _real,_ not remembered, not pretended. He yearned to discover why, to fill the yawning chasm in his chest…

Maybe _she _could fill it. She had enough heart for the two of them, after all, being a Princess… surely it would help him - _and the Superior_ - understand the heart's whiles if they had a physical test subject to _examine…_

… to examine every inch of her beneath that ridiculously yellow dress…

The prickling on the back of her neck had been getting worse. Belle's grip tightened on the Beast, slipping her fingers underneath his unruly fur as she paused their dance again, glancing around in anxiety. She felt as though there were a dark presence lurking in the ballroom, just on the edge of her vision, glowering at them, at _her_… but every time she turned to look, there was nothing there. Her breath caught in her throat, her face tensing up.

"Belle?" The Beast's forehead creased, worry for her all over his eyes. "Are… are you all right?"

"… Y-yes," she said, not without some hesitancy. "I'm sure I'm fine… I just…" At the moment, perhaps honesty was the best policy. "… I just feel like there's someone watching us."

Immediately, a growl ripped from the Beast's throat. "Xaldin," he spat out through gritted teeth, clutching Belle closer to him. His arm wrapped tighter around her waist, his claws pricking her low back uncomfortably - though she said nothing about her discomfort.

"No," she said hastily, "I'm sure it's nothing, maybe I'm just not feeling myself, that's all."

A rumble from his chest indicated that he was still on edge, but the Beast relented, continuing their waltz - though now it was more of a jerky, mechanical dance, as he was still holding Belle possessively close. She attempted to wriggle further away from him, but he was unaware of her struggles, his eyes glaring around the dance room, as if daring every shadow to step closer.

Xaldin almost did; it was only his discipline of controlling his random urges and wants that allowed him to breathe and step back. Belle's obvious hesitance was alluring, and the Beast's tight hold on her invited a challenge to take her away from him - a challenge in which he would _love_ to partake. The image of the Beast's broken body and Belle's bloodstained yellow dress crept, unbidden, into his mind again…

_Wait. Patience._

He watched as they finally stopped their agonizing slow dance, as the Princess curtsied to the Beast as the music ended, the Beast awkwardly bowing in return before offering her his arm, and she took it with a delicate glove and another enchanting smile as the brushed towards the exit. He narrowed his eyes as she went on tiptoe to kiss him on his hideous face, where his cheek was hidden beneath layers of matted fur. The door slammed shut as they left, and in the moment of silence that followed, he cursed under his breath.

That Beast didn't _deserve_ her, didn't deserve that lovely flower to complement his ugliness, didn't deserve someone with such a pure heart to touch his own tortured, angry, black one. He deserved to rot in some shadowed corner of the world, to transform into a true creature worthy of his design, to lose himself to the Heartless and hand his body over to the Nobodies, to wreak havoc on the worlds.

And once he was out of the picture, Belle would be lost in her bloodstained yellow dress, alone, confused. And Xaldin would save her from herself - no, not _save,_ the whole idea of _saving_ anyone was nonsense - but he'd take her away, keep her hidden, keep that shining, beautiful heart all to himself, because it was _he -_ who'd searched so long and so hard for something to heal the emptiness inside of him - that _truly _deserved her.

Some would call him a monster for thinking such things, that he was no better off than the Beast. But he did not care what 'some' thought, for what _he _thought was more important than what anyone _else _did (except for, perhaps, the Superior). And after all, once the Prince was done away with, well…

… a beauty would always need her beast.

He'd be happy to oblige.

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**A/N: I told you. I told you this one would be darker.**

**And it's actually the length I planned it to be too, instead of being a million times longer.**

**So yes. Short, dark, not so fun compared to the other ones. I do hope it was still enjoyable; the next one's not going to be as... twisted and dark, but it'll still be a few shades darker than the first two chapters. And then chapter five - the current plan that is, it's still available for change - is planned to be lighter. Y'know, just to mix things up a little.**

**But that's all the spoilers any of you will be getting. :P**

**Reviews would be very much appreciated, if any of you want possible bonus chapters!**

**And be sure to be checking my profile for new stuff, 'cause I got new oneshots planned - one I've been working on for about a month and a Christmas!fic. (:**


	4. Green

_**Spectrum**_

_An artist does not have merely one or two favorite colors to work with; they have a whole spectrum._

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Green

"_Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme…"_

Aerith hummed as she worked, one deft hand sorting through the various soft colors in a basket slung about the other. Occasionally the melody was filled with half-remembered lyrics; but the rest of the words were forgotten, lost, locked away in some dusty corner of her mind filled with other childhood lullabies where she could barely remember the tune, let alone the name, or the face of the kind woman who had sung them to her.

In this place, however, it was worth noting that _everything_ was dusty. Sand seemed to trickle into every breath she took, scratching her throat and pricking at her eyes, causing them to water. The sun beat down, hot, invasive and constant; sweat skirted her brown and clung to her eyelashes. Yet still she hummed, paying these irritating symptoms no mind as she walked through the market, as if she hadn't a bother or a care – or more aptly, as if she were too optimistic to let such things drag her down.

However, she still noticed the discomfort – and as a result, it was her current mission to find a corner of shade where she might take a break from the sun.

But why was she even allowing herself to get the tiniest bit flustered in desert heat? Well, today's venture was a business one – or at least, it was in theory. Aerith had never been much of a businesswoman, really; the only business-like aspect of her task was that she might be making a bit of money – though that was not exactly her intended goal. Her task was simple and to the point: Fill the desert – or as much as she possibly could in what little time was allotted – with flowers.

Indeed, within the wicker basket slung over her arm were the soft colors of flowers – and quite a few of them, which was surprising. Traverse Town had not given her much space to plant a garden, yet she had still found a spot long ago, and kept it hidden and safe. Within a year or two, flowers had been blooming cheerfully in the dark, brick town, giving her a sort of bittersweet remembrance of her old life – and all she really remembered from _that_ were the few dusty lullabies and her small garden in an old church. It was nice to have a quiet sanctuary, away from the hustle and bustle – and sometimes fear – of Traverse Town's other inhabitants, a little place where flowers and hope grew in abundance – and to Aerith, they were one in the same.

But, she gathered as she reached a shady corner she'd been searching for, this desert market was lacking in _both_ aspects. Aerith hoped to remedy the first, and pray that the latter would follow soon after.

"_Remember me to the one who lives there…"_

There really was nothing odd about a girl – or anyone – singing in the market. Once in a while, the citizens of Agrabah would all break out in some folk song or dance, more than likely celebrating a holiday; it was one of the few things the rough city did to keep up its morale. Aladdin saw it all the time; or, at least, he used to, before those weird black shadows started infesting the place. Now, most of the citizens were in hiding, no longer attempting to boost their morale as a group, afraid of losing their lives … or whatever it was the creatures were after.

He ran a frustrated hand through his tousled hair. _C'mon, think of something more positive._ Truth be told, there were less and less of the twitchy creatures out and about, ever since Sora came through. He had made a significant dent in their numbers; it was as if they were regrouping. Or maybe – he dared hope – they were actually gone, and gone for good.

Just like Jasmine…

_No! No, don't think that. She's _not_ gone forever. Sora will find her. He_ promised. Aladdin grit his teeth, pushing back images of her lovely eyes and long, braided black hair…

Oh, it was no use.

Aladdin rubbed his eyes in frustration. The whole reason he'd even come out to the market today – despite the thin crowd and despite the possibility of running into the little black demons – was to _avoid_ thoughts like these. All he'd been doing in the days of her absence was brood and sulk in the broken-down building he called his home, thinking about her and his other erstwhile friends… Pretty soon he'd start to miss Genie too.

… ah crap.

He sighed deeply, and leaned up against a crumbly wall. So much for fresh air clearing his head… Even outside the shadows of his home he'd managed to find a way to mope. What had happened to his attitude, akin to a miniature sun he carried in his pocket (like the desert needed another one…)? It just wasn't in his nature to be surly; and, truth be told, he had been missing the frivolous things of day-to-day life. Like stealing food and running from palace soldiers.

And besides, it wasn't like he was _totally_ alone. He still had Abu with him…

… at least until he saw said furball scampering towards the girl he'd noticed singing earlier.

"_Abu!"_

In this sweltering desert with very little signs of life, the last thing Aerith was expecting was to be pounced on by a monkey.

At first she was frightened and froze up, uttering a surprised "Oh!" – after all, something unseen was jumping on top of her; in her experience, that could be a definite cause for alarm. But then she relaxed the moment she saw a scrawny, hair arm reach into her basket and heard a curious chitter; her innate understanding of life came in handy once again as she received positive vibes from the little creature, telling her that she was not under attack.

The hand withdrew from the basket, long fingers wrapped tightly around the green stem of a lavender tulip. She chuckled slightly as the creature leapt nimbly off her head and she saw what it actually was – a little monkey. It scampered over to a rugged-looking, barefooted boy – perhaps about her age – that was dressed in raggedy clothes – a simple violet vest, leaving his lean chest bare, and baggy, patched-up off-white pants. It wasn't his clothes, however, that made her frown; it was the look on his face, and no amount of stern scolding towards the monkey could cover up the lost, hopeless look in his eyes. The monkey then proceeded to hold the flower to the boy, who snatched it up and hurried over to Aerith.

"I'm sorry Miss," he apologized quickly, thrusting the flower out to her, an abashed look on his face. "Abu – my monkey – he's just a little troublemaker –"

"It's fine," she said, her voice friendly, cutting him off. Aladdin blinked and then frowned; vendors on the streets of Agrabah weren't normally so lenient with thieves, and she still hadn't taken her flower back. Now that he thought of it, her clothes were foreign to him – a simple pink, button-down dress with a blue belt slung about her hips and comfortable brown boots. It also wasn't outside his notice that there was a ribbon in her hair; accessories and such were normally luxuries the common merchant couldn't afford (unless, of course, he or she stole them – an action from which Aladdin gained his hat, and an action that didn't fit the quiet demeanor of the flower girl).

"I don't have any money to pay for this," Aladdin elaborated, still holding the flower out. _As if it weren't already clear from my clothes_. It probably was obvious that he was a common thief, a street rat, one that ran from the law and the possibility of being apprehended; he wasn't exactly sure what had possessed him to take such a small, fragile thing back to the flower girl, except for that a flower wasn't really a necessity, and he only stole if he could help it. Besides, it seemed like the right thing to do.

"No, I didn't think so," said the girl, "but that's all right. You can keep it if you want." She smiled – an expression tinged with patience and kindness. "It looked like such a nice gift from your little friend Abu, and I'm not about to charge him for that."

"… are you serious?" His arm dropped a little, slightly shocked from the words coming from the girl.

Aerith could see the shock written all over his face – which in turn shocked her a bit as well. Was it really such an oddity around here for someone to give freely and willingly? She remembered the bleak look on his face she'd observed earlier. This desert was in need of more hope than she had originally thought…

"Well, if you want to pay for it that much, you can." The lilt in her voice made it obvious that she was lightly teasing him – though it seemed he didn't quite get that fact as he started to open his mouth, dismay written all over his face. She held up a finger to cut him off, and he stopped, his mouth still agape. She tapped a finger to her chin, pretending to think about it, when she said:

"How about one date?" She lifted one finger as if to emphasize the number.

Aladdin was shocked into silence for a moment. She truly _was_ an enigma; first the odd-looking clothes, then excusing him of paying, and now this? Her treatment of him was almost flattering, and a very light pink dusted his brown cheeks as he met her green eyes – a strange color for this area.

For one moment, he forgot about the reason he'd been brooding for days and almost said yes.

_Wait, what? Snap out of it, Al. Remember Jasmine._

With an awkward smile – yet a smile nonetheless – and a slight rubbing of the back of his neck, he admitted, "I don't think I can… I'm sort of seeing someone."

"Oh." She blinked, and then a smile slid across her face again, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her. "She must be very lucky. Are you two… serious?"

A goofy smile lit up his face for a moment as he thought about his princess, forgetting for a moment that she was missing. "Yeah, pretty serious." The monkey sitting at his feet rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

Aerith nodded slowly, peacefully. "Well, then, I'll have to take some other form of payment." This time, the boy didn't attempt to interrupt, just watched her curiously. She thought once more before concluding, "I'd like to know your name."

He grinned, a relaxed grin that better suited his demeanor than the pouty look she'd seen him sporting before he came over to her. The grin reminded her of someone… someone also with black hair and a rugged – albeit friendly – attitude… but she couldn't think of whom. "Aladdin."

"Aladdin…?" She tested out the word on her tongue, and then nodded in affirmation before holding out her free hand. "I'm Aerith."

He gripped her small, white hand firmly with his larger, darker one. Underneath his callouses, he could feel how fragile she was, and purposely made his handshake a bit more gentle. He made the mistake of looking into her soft green eyes again, and lost his train of thought for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of her hand in his and the single moment they were sharing that seemed separate from reality.

From the soft look on her face, he surmised that she was thinking the same thing.

Eventually, she removed her hand from his and glanced down at her flower basket. It seemed she was looking at the arrangement of her flowers and fixing them, but Aladdin had seen that look on Jasmine's face a million times. In reality, she was most likely hiding a shy smile – and a blush.

"Well, Aladdin," she said eventually, looking back up at him and smiling once more, "It's been a pleasure to meet you…" She abruptly crouched down to the ground to hold out her finger to Abu. "And you too, Abu!"

The monkey looked up at her with his eyebrows raised, but visibly melted under the gentle look on her face, and shook her finger with both front paws, akin to a handshake. She stifled a laugh behind her other hand as she rose back to full height, fishing the hand back into her basket.

"Since you paid me for the first flower, I'll give you a second one free." She pulled out a small pink flower, the kind that had many ruffles to it, like a clump of lace – he couldn't remember the name. (After all, flowers were fairly scarce in Agrabah, unless you were visiting the palace.) He took it from her, holding it in the palm of his hand, quietly moved by such a gift. The green stem of the flower contrasted so visibly against the hot colors of the desert that it was almost refreshing to him, like a cool drink of water passing parched lips.

"I hope… whenever you look at this flower…" Aerith paused, reaching a delicate hand to close his fingers gently over the flower, so he could feel the ruffles of the petals brushing his skin. "… I hope you remember me … and you remember hope."

For some reason, she had known exactly what to say to him, the precise words that could make him break out into a smile again – and a real one, not just one that was often faked in a weak attempt to convince himself that he was fine. And he did smile – first at the flower, and then to her.

"Thanks … Aerith. I promise …" – he looked down at both of his flowers, his eyes tightening in his resolve – "… I won't forget."

Then – for one quick moment – he wrapped his strong, warm arms around her, pulling her close into a genuine embrace. They paused there for a second, feeling as if they were outside reality again, before he pulled away. With one final salute to her, he was running off, his little monkey following close at his heels, no doubt to find some water and a vase or pot of some kind for his two new possessions.

Aerith was silent and still, a happy smile on her face as she watched Aladdin sprint off cheerfully, glad to see that the darkness she'd registered in his expression had abated. After a moment, she set off walking again, perhaps to find another soul in need of some hope. Within due time, however, she knew she'd have to head back to the ship; this world was merely a pit stop on their journey to Hollow Bastion. She figured they'd have another stop fairly soon too; Leon was annoyed with Yuffie's constant stream of "Are we there yet?", and to release that annoyance back upon her, he'd probably choose to make a pit stop on a world that would make her uncomfortable.

_If there was a world comprised of only a giant ship…_

She shook her head, not finishing that thought, and chuckled slightly as she continued on her way, humming the song again.

"_He once was a true love of mine…"_

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**A/N: Well, it took me long enough...**

**Sorry about the wait everybody. I won't have a long author's note this time... I really gotta cut 'em down. I know I said this chapter was going to be a darker one, but I changed my mind about the pairing. And I'm also sorry if it's crap, I'm very tired and I just wanted to get this done... Also, I hope you liked the fact that towards the end, I referenced one of the chapters in this collection (specifically, Orange).**

**Disclaimer comes at the end, as usual. I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Squeenix or Disney or really anything in this. And I also don't own the song Aerith was singing; that's Scarborough Fair, and that's a really old song that originated as a poem from medieval times.**


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